The world is increasingly shifting towards a digital economy, with over one billion people using the internet each day and even more businesses turning to online purchases to operate. This also means that so much of our daily routine has moved online, making it easier to start up and manage an eCommerce store such as Shopify for example. So what happens, when someone makes use of this amazing technology? Well not everyone has a good experience, in fact many people have been burned by their first ever online purchase. Here’s what I’ve learned since starting up my own shop on Shopify myself.
1) Set-up Your Store Yourself!
As soon as you set up your new website you’re immediately going to want to try and sell it off too. At least that’s how some others think they do things. For me however, it was a bit different. I went into this business just because I wanted to make sure I had a website in place. Not only did I want people to see my stuff but I also wanted them to know where I got it from. When the sales started coming in, I was ecstatic. It looked like everything we were selling was selling out pretty quickly, so there was actually no need for us to keep raising prices. I thought about adding more items too, but eventually decided to take it easy and save it up for later in the year if people still wanted it. That’s why I didn’t bother making money on my first little sale. Once I sold every item I couldn’t get anymore for those that sold before or during. Now that was that time for me to concentrate on making other items and selling them off too. After two days of selling, I was left with a bit in the bank due to taxes and fees. As a result, I began thinking about ways to cut down on spending and it really helped me reduce that amount. Eventually though, I sold all my big ticket items and the remainder of my small items which gave lots more money than I needed. The most important lesson I’ve learnt that applies to any business owner is to make sure you are doing everything to succeed when starting out for the next few years.
2) Have A Backup Plan
There are lots of companies that will pay you for backup plans and so many that offer free backups. You can choose whatever you want, just make sure the plan covers at least five months worth of your data. Then pick your best free plan that works for you. In terms of saving up money it was very helpful. All the extra storage is a lot cheaper. Not only that, but I found that deleting a file on local machines is also cheaper than purchasing its backup online. Some companies even pay you money to delete files offline or transfer them back to another cloud as well as some will transfer them directly to Amazon’s servers. However, there are some companies who offer a lot more for free, which is why I recommend signing up for a paid plan. You won’t regret it though, once you use their services you’ll always have a copy available to access, even during your working hours. To sum up, I would definitely choose a paid plan, just make sure to compare them to the standard ones that aren’t free as well as choose one that allows you to keep your emails. My overall advice would be to sign up for a free plan, give it a go and just stick to it and make sure you stick to the same plan for as long as possible. If you don’t like the service then it’s better not to sign up for anything at all. There are plenty of things to buy off the web too, after all my last post, I added several new items that I didn’t do before.
3) Make Sure Your Products Are Validated
There’s nothing worse than putting a product out with absolutely no documentation or proof of ownership in order to sell. Just remember to check the seller’s reputation to help ensure they are genuine. Most people in my area sell on platforms like Facebook so my products would come from there too. Also, make sure you include a couple lines of customer feedback on the website as well as look around through comments so people get a feel for your goods. Remember to update products regularly to ensure your customers are happy. I have a basic Instagram account and even have a link to create posts for products. If any problems arise, I recommend contacting both the person who created the content as well as whoever made the package. Hopefully that helps!
4) Always Know What Your Goals Are While Creating Something New
When creating something new it is tempting to jump in without fully understanding what you are trying to achieve. Don’t be that one, know what the end goals are and what kind of results you want to achieve. The reason I love blogging is because it keeps track of any changes I make. It helps keep me accountable. I’m now quite passionate about writing and have put out quite a few articles already. But don’t forget you’ve never been here before. Use Google search to find keywords related to your topic, this is useful to gain insight on the industry and hopefully bring in new readers too. Do you already have customers? If so, reach out to them and tell them what you think. Tell them what kind of products you’d be happy to sell them. Let them know what you need or how you can help out. Sometimes there are sites out there that can tell you if a site is authentic or not so you might reach out to them. Be confident in yourself and let go of any doubts you might have. If you’re looking to buy anything on social media make sure you research it properly and find the website of course. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and try and listen to what the owners say.
5) Look For Opportunities Where More People Can See Them
If more people are seeing your work then you are bound to receive a higher number of views. This also allows you to grow your following. Even things like Instagram can show your growth. The main thing is to make sure you think outside the box and push yourself. When you think outside the box and push hard to develop something, it feels like it could possibly happen for you. One way or another, you will eventually see your name rise to the top of search engines. I guess I will just have to wait and see how many times I get my name amongst the pages of thousands. Until then though, remember to always look for opportunities. If you’re looking to build your blog or launch a YouTube channel then try and find more people who can like it. Maybe share it with your friends and family or ask them to follow it. They’ll notice you’re doing something right and start showing interest. By the way, if anyone else wants to become successful like me, join a community and ask a few guys in the group to review your skills. Get some feedback on your own website. Social media is great for networking too. Find lots of people who can like the sort of stuff you’re doing and spread it to the wider audience.
I hope these tips helped! Good luck with your journey and enjoy it. Happy holidays!
